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Topic: True Detective (Read 1404 times)

I just realized that although everybody I know on Facebook and in "real life" is mad about the new HBO show True Detective, I haven't seen anyone mention it here yet.

I think it's the best show on television, powerfully acted, superbly directed, and the writing is just out of this world. The season finale (the first season is only 8 episodes) is this Sunday. Anybody here watching?

...Yeah it's good, but the best show on TV right now? Maybe, not a lot of competition right now.

Actually, I'd argue we're in a historically noteworthy era of high-quality television. The cable networks, particularly HBO and Showtime but also AMC and others, have enabled and even encouraged intelligent, serious (or funny) and above all challenging storytelling.

I know it's long been considered a truism to say "Everyone knows there's nothing but shit on TV," and I've been anti-television for a good portion of my life... but I feel that lately it's a thriving entertainment medium.

On HBO alone, there's True Detective, Boardwalk Empire, Game of Thrones (not to mention Californication, Girls and others). Can anyone name a time in history when a single network or channel had three shows as compelling as these, all at the same time? It's not just HBO. Homeland is amazing, and American Horror Story, and Hannibal, and on and on. I was a TV-hater from my late teens until roughly the time of Sopranos, but I'm convinced things have really changed. Some great writers and directors are moving to TV from film, instead of vice versa.

I've been loving True Detective. I really like the storytelling format used for most of the show. I was a little worried at first that it would be a parade of gruesome murders. But it's been a great ride.

I agree with you Mike, there are a lot of choices for good tv. I'm looking forward to the new season of Veep & the new series Silicon Valley, both starting in April on HBO.

...Yeah it's good, but the best show on TV right now? Maybe, not a lot of competition right now.

Actually, I'd argue we're in a historically noteworthy era of high-quality television. The cable networks, particularly HBO and Showtime but also AMC and others, have enabled and even encouraged intelligent, serious (or funny) and above all challenging storytelling.

Well I would say its a mixed bag right now. Yes their are a lot of great series on some of the cable networks, but their is also a lot of reality tv, more than ever I would say. Most of which is not very good or just copycats of other reality tv shows that have done well. How many shows about flipping houses, flipping cars, pawn stores, or storage units does one need?

Those are all great shows, but they not all on at the same time, which is what I was referring too when I said not a lot of competition. If they were all on right now I would agree but stuff like Boardwalk Empire was done for the season before True Detective started, and Game of Thrones won't start up again for this season for another month. So most of those shows mentioned are not really competing with True Detective.

All that aside, what did everyone think of the ending? I won't say anything directly as to give it away to those who are still catching up, but I thought the ending was not quite as good as the rest of the series. I think if they had made the ending two hours and fleshed it out a bit more it could have been better.

This is what I'm talking about. Each time someone says 'Hey, you ought to check out House of Cards, it's excellent," or Orange is the New Black, or The Americans, or Justified, or Nashville, I feel overwhelmed, like I'll never keep up with all the good stuff.

Really there's so much great television programming that unless you watch several hours of TV every day (and you shouldn't, so stop it!) there's enough quality stuff that you should never have to watch anything less than excellent.